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Risk Assessment Model for the Import and Keeping of Exotic Reptiles and Amphibians

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Risk Assessment Model for the Import and Keeping of Exotic Reptiles and Amphibians Risk assessment model for the import and keeping of exotic reptiles and amphibians Mary Bomford, Fred Kraus, Mike Braysher, Liz Walter and Leanne Brown August 2005 A report produced by the Bureau of Rural Sciences for The Department of Environment and Heritage © Commonwealth of Australia 2005 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth available from the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Intellectual Property Branch, Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, GPO Box 2154, Canberra ACT 2601 or at http://www.dcita.gov.au/cca. The Australian Government acting through the Bureau of Rural Sciences has exercised due care and skill in the preparation and compilation of the information and data set out in this publication. Notwithstanding, the Bureau of Rural Sciences, its employees and advisers disclaim all liability, including liability for negligence, for any loss, damage, injury, expense or cost incurred by any person as a result of accessing, using or relying upon any of the information or data set out in this publication to the maximum extent permitted by law. Postal address: Bureau of Rural Sciences GPO Box 858 Canberra, ACT 2601 Internet: http://www.brs.gov.au Author affiliations: Mary Bomford: Bureau of Rural Sciences Mike Braysher: Institute of Applied Ecology, University of Canberra Fred Kraus: Bishop Museum, Hawaii Liz Walter: Braysher Consulting Leanne Brown: Bureau of Rural Sciences 2 Foreword Exotic reptiles and amphibians can establish wild pest populations that cause environmental and economic harm. These introduced species have the potential to cause extinctions of native species or reduce their range and abundance. Their negative impacts on native species can include predation, competition for food, basking sites and other resources, hybridisation and other genetic effects, spread of diseases and parasites, and poisoning through toxic skin glands or venomous bites. Exotic reptiles and amphibians may also alter the habitat of native species and disrupt ecosystem dynamics. There is a risk that new exotic reptile and amphibian species could establish as wild pests in Australia. If such species escaped or were illegally released into a favourable environment, they could start to breed in the wild and spread to new locations. Once they are widespread, eradication becomes virtually impossible. Not all exotic reptiles and amphibians pose the same level of threat for establishing a wild pest population. This report addresses the question of whether it is possible to distinguish between species that pose a high risk and those that pose a lower risk. Based on a review of world scientific literature and an analysis of past introductions of exotic reptiles and amphibians to the United States and Britain, it concludes that there is a suite of factors that separates high and low-risk species. This information is used to construct a scientifically based risk assessment model to evaluate the risk that an exotic reptile or amphibian species released into the wild could establish a wild population. The Bureau of Rural Sciences produced this report for The Department of Environment and Heritage with funding from the Natural Heritage Trust. The report provides information to assist the Australian and State and Territory Governments assess the risks posed by the import and keeping of exotic reptiles and amphibians. Dr Cliff Samson Executive Director Bureau of Rural Sciences 3 4 Summary Over 30% of reported exotic reptile and amphibian Over 30% of introductions around the world have resulted in new reported exotic populations establishing although this figure varies between reptile and families and in different locations. This figure may overestimate amphibian the true success rate because successful introductions are more introductions likely to be reported. have resulted in new populations establishing. Assessing invasion risk relies on identifying factors that are linked to the probability of successful establishment if a new exotic reptile or amphibian species was introduced and released in Australia. There is a large scientific literature on the theory of vertebrate invasions, proposing a suite of factors that may influence whether species will establish in new environments. Establishment risk There are four key factors for which there is strong evidence of a correlation with establishment success for exotic reptiles and amphibians. These should be considered key factors when the risk that exotic reptile and amphibian species could establish in Australia is assessed: 1. Number of release events: The release of The release of large numbers of animals at different times and large numbers places enhances the chance of successful establishment. Small of reptiles or populations are more susceptible to extinction from predation, amphibians at reduced breeding success, poorer hunting success or increased different times competition. Chance events such as droughts and floods are and places also likely to drive small populations to extinction. Small enhances the populations may also lose genetic variability, reducing the chance of probability of long-term survival. The minimum viable successful population size for successful invasion is usually unknown. establishment. An analysis of worldwide introductions of exotic reptiles and amphibians indicates a strong correlation between the number of times a species is introduced and the number of exotic populations it establishes. It appears likely that many reptile and amphibian species can establish exotic populations if sufficient releases are made into suitable environments. This risk can be reduced by restricting which species are kept in Australia, the number of collections holding a species, and the number of individuals held in each collection, and by increasing the security conditions for keeping species and educating people about the risks of releasing exotic reptiles and amphibians. 5 2. Climate match: Exotic reptiles Exotic reptiles and amphibians have a greater chance of and amphibians establishing if they are introduced to an area with a climate that have a greater closely matches that of their original range. Species that have a chance of large overseas range over several climatic zones are predicted to establishing if be strong future invaders. The suitability of a country’s climate they are for the establishment of a species can be quantified on a broad introduced to scale by measuring the climate match between that country and an area with a the geographic range of a species. Successfully introduced climate that exotic reptile and amphibian species in the United States and closely matches Britain have a greater area of climatically matched habitat than that of their species that were released but failed to establish. Climate original range. matching only sets the broad parameters for determining if an area is suitable for an exotic reptile or amphibian to establish. Other factors, such as the presence of competitors, predators or diseases, might prevent an exotic species from establishing in a climatically matched area. 3. History of establishing exotic populations elsewhere: A history of establishing exotic populations may indicate that a A history of species has attributes that increase the risk of it establishing in establishing other areas. A history of establishing exotic populations exotic elsewhere is a significant predictor of establishment success for populations exotic reptiles and amphibians introduced to the United States elsewhere is a and Britain. However, many species that are potential exotics significant have not been transported to and released in new environments, predictor of so they have not had the opportunity to demonstrate their establishment establishment potential. Hence, a precautionary approach is success. advisable when assessing the risk of establishment in Australia for species that have little or no history of previous introductions. 4. Taxonomic group: Taxonomic The introduction success rate for exotic reptiles and amphibians family is introduced around the world is significantly correlated with a significantly species taxonomic family. The most successful families are: correlated with Proteidae; Typhlopidae; Ranidae; Leptodactylidae; introduction Chamaeleonidae; Gekkonidae; Rhacophoridae; Agamidae; success rate for Teiidae; Trionychidae; Bufonidae. A precautionary approach is exotic reptiles advisable for species that have little or no introduction history, and amphibians. and without relatives with an introduction history. There are many additional factors listed in the literature that are hypothesized to enhance the probability of establishment for exotic reptiles and amphibians but for which scientific supporting evidence is lacking or equivocal. Rigorously 6 There are many designed experiments are required to confirm or reject the additional potential role of these factors: factors listed in • a wide geographic range, particularly over extensive the literature continental regions that are hypothesized to • high abundance in either their native or introduced range enhance the • an ability to live in human-disturbed habitats (human probability of commensalism) establishment but for which • broad environmental tolerances scientific
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